Water-cooling device for condensers



H. ZOELLY WATER COOLING, DEVICE FOR CONDENSERS Filed Mdr'cli 2.4 T1921Patented May 19, 1925.

' UNITEDTSTATES PATENT oF'FicE';

H E INRICH ZOELLY, OF ZURICH, SWITZERLAND.

WATER-COOLING nnvron FOR connn'ivsnas.

Application filed March 14, 1921. Serial No. 452,170.

To all whom may concern: I v

Be it known that I, HEINRICH ZoELLY, a

citizen of the Republic of Switzerland, residing at Zur ch,Hardturmstrasse "19, Switzerland, have invented certain new and "usefulImprovementsin Water-Cooling. De-

vices for Condensers (for which applications for patents have been filedin Switzerland, January 4, 1918, Patent No. 79,006,

and in Germany, January 9, 1918, application No. K. 65,336) and I dohereby declare the following to be a clear, full, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to theaccompanying draw-' to this method, the quantity of water and itsdistribution are chosen in such a manner I as to prevent the speed ofthe air inrelation to the l'G-COOllIlg contrivance (the so calledrelative speed) from exceeding 5 metres per second within saidcontrivance.

The method and the contrivance can be de vised" in such a Way that thewater to be cooled is made to fall freely from an upper reservoir into alower reservoir, without it (the water) or the air being in any wayhindered by any obstructions mounted in the path of the air current,thus allowing an unimpeded passage forwateror air, and that solely thequantity and distributionot thefree falling water have to be regulatedin order to maintain the admissible relative air speed. Further, themethod can be so devised and the contrivance so designed that thequantity and the distribution of the water are made dependent on thespeed of the vehicle. During full load, the Water to,

be cooled can be conveyed across the air current so as to enable thewater .to fall from an upper reservoir into a lower reser voir which isdivided, transversally t0 the direction of the current of air, into twocom partments, the water collected in one of the compartments of thelower reservoir being re-conveyedto the upper reservoir, in

order that it may pass again through the section and v Fig. 2 a part ofthe plan view of-such a contrivance for mounting on a steam loco aircurrent, whilst the water collected in; the other compartment of thelower reser voir is conveyed to the condensing plant.

As an exemplification of the nvention,

the annexed drawing shows, diagrammati- I cally, a contrivance forcarrying the method into effect. In this drawingz Fig. 1 represents avertical longitudinal motive.

Fig. 3 .1s Fig. 1.

It is assumed,for instance, that the locomotive moves in the directionof the arrow I from right to left producing inthe contrivance a currentof air directed from left to right (direction of arrow '11).

a section on line III III of Referring to Figure 1, '1 is a jet conden-'ser; the steam which is to be condensed being admitted to the condenserthrough the inlet 2 and the working water, which is under pressure,through pipe 3. Said water has to condense the steam and draw the air ifrom the steam engine or turbine which" drives the locomotive. I Steamand air are fed through pipe 2 to the condenser.

I The mixture of air and water passes from the difi user t into thereservoirfi and flows through pipe 6 into the re-cooling con trivance.This consists chiefly of an upper. reservoir 7 and a lower reservoirwhich is subdivided into a front compartn ient 8 and a back compartment9, as well as of the piping and pumps appertaining thereto. The water 15drawn from the back compartment- 9 of the lower reservoir by means ofpipe 10 and pump 11, and conveved through pipe '12 to the upperreservoir 7, in the bottom of which holes 13 and 14 are provided. flhereservoir, and the water discharged through the holes 14 is collected inthe front part 8 oi. said reservoir. Thus, part or". the :watercollected in the upper reservoir 7 falls back into compartment 9 of thelower reservoir and is forced to move in a cycle by pump 11.

It is thus adapted to come several times in contact with the aircurrentstreaming horizontally from, left to right in the direction of the arrowII. The jets of water discharged through theholes 14 from the up perreservoir 7 come immediately into contact with theair when the latterenters into water discharged through the holes 13 is collectedin theback part 9' of the lower the contrivance (i. e. at C), that is to say,just where the air has the lowest temperature and the greatest coolingcapacity. The water which is collected in the front part- 8 of the lowerreservoir has therefore the lowest temperature. Owing to this, theworking water needed for the jet condenser 1, is drawn off by means ofpipe 15 and pump 16 from said front part 8 ot' the reservoir. The excessof water can flow over in either direction from the part 8 into the part9 of the lower reservoir, or vice versa. According to Fig. 1, water isfor the time being, flowingover from the back part 9 of the lowerreservoir to the front part 8 of said reservoir.

The air passing from the lettto the right transversally to the jets ofwater which fall down into the lower reservoir tends to deviate saidjets towards the right owing}; to friction and to the pressure caused bythe air impinging upon said jets. This involves the danger that part ofthe water "Falling: downwards, is blown beyond the lower reservoir andconsequently lost for further cooling. This could he avoided, to acertain extent at least, by extending the low-or reservoir to the rightwhich, however, would entail the use ol 1 contrivance such a length thatwould render its employment on a locomotive impossible. And even inspite of such an arrangement, a large quantity oi the water would beblown far to the hack, it' the speed of the air relative to the coolingrcontrivance, and thus to the o1? water, were too high. To avoid this,the quantity of the water and its dirtribution are chosen in such a waythat "the relative speed or the air does not exceed 5 metre per secondwithin the re-coolizig cont once. This can be particularly expla nedwith reference to Fig. 2 which represents the apparatus as seen fromabove. When the vehicle (locomotive) provided with th scoolingcontrivance, has for instance a speed from right to left 0% 72kilometres per hour, a particle of air has, for inst i at the point(that is to say. at the point so tar removed from the vehicle as no!" tohe fluenced by the movement of the latter) absolute speed o1 zero and inrelation to the contrivance relative speed of m tres per second. Thisparticle of air mail: ains this ratio oi speed. Not taking intoconsideration the influence of occurring shocks and friction, thecontrivauce would also move to the left at. speed of metres per secondin relation to a particle of air which is for the moment at 1 i e rightin front of the contrivance, while this particle of air would tor thetime being remain immovable. In reality. however, this particle of airat 7/ will oppose. a certain resistance to the motion oi the water jets.directed during the travelling of the vehicle, from right to left,

greater.

due to the friction and impacts produced. (living to this the particleoi air attains-also an absolute speed from right to left, as soon as itenters the bundle of jets. The greater this absolute speed becomes, themore the relative speed of the particle of air with regard to the waterjets diminishes, and the smaller is its deviating action upon the jetsof water suituated further back. Now, it is possible to choose in thepresent example the quantity or number and the distribution of the jetsof water in such a manner that the speed of the air within thecontrivance increases to an absolute speed, directed from right to left,of at least 15 metres per second. whereby the relativespeed falls to 5metres per second and even to less. Atsuch a relative speed the air isnot able to deviate the jets of water, which fall at the back of thecoutrivance, to the right to any great extent.

(hie must oppose a greater resistance to the relative passage of the airacross the cooling: contrivance when the vehicle runs fast than when itruns slowly. This can be effect ed for instance by keeping open. whenthe vehicle is travelling a low speed. only the holes 01 the upperreservoir which, as shown in Fig. 2 are in the vertical planes a.-7),c(Z ef and (]]L respectively, and by keeping; the intermediate holesclosed, leaving therelw a relatively large section free for the passageof air. For high speeds of the vehicle, the holes in the planes 0-p, andgr, are opened also, so that the respective jets form the requisiteobstruction to the current of air. This way of regulation which may beeffected by means of a member 1? containing holes 18 and slots 19adapted to close temporarily part of the hole 3 and 14:, on beingrdisplaced by an tine; lever 20 fulfils at the same time the conditionthat more cooling water is made to pass through the contriv .oce whenthe locomotive runs at high speed than at low speed, said conditionhaving to he ful filled because in the first case a larger volume ofsteam has to he condensed and therefore the total cooling action must beill course. this can also be attained by regulating; the output of thepumps. at a creater travelling speed the pump ll is adjusted for alarger out-put, firstly in order to bringthe same cooling; water moreoften into contact with the air current. and so.- ond y to oppose agreater resistance to the air current. thereby keeping relative speedwithin the device lielow the desired limit of 5 metres per second.

Instead of causing: the water to :fall freely from above, as is shown inthe exemplification of the invention, itcould also be projectedhorizontally across the air current by means of a pump. Should the aircurrent produced by the travelling vehicle not sufiic'e, also a fan maybe used. Asit is practiced in contrivances already known, specialobstructions can be opposed to the passage of water, as for instancesieves and perforated dash plates which, however, must be constructed insuch a manner as to check the air current as little as possible.

In the contrivance described above, which is an exemplification of anembodiment of the invention, no obstructions of any kind besides thejets of water are opposed to the air current, so that the passage forthe air has the greatest possible section; A great quantity of air cancome into contact with a great'quantity of water at a comparativelysmall relative speed within a small space whereby the greatest possiblecooling action is obtained.

Devices, the operation of which is dependent on the travelling speed of.the vehicle, as for instance tachometers, may also be applied.Thesedevices can be used for regulating th quantity and the distributionof the water to be cooled.

What I claim now as my invention is:

1. Apparatus for re-cooling the cooling water of steam condensing plantson vehicles, which comprises, means for dividing the water to be cooledinto a plurality of jets, means for conducting a current of air throughthe apparatus and transversely to said jets, and means for regulatingthe relative quantity of Water and the velocity of the cooling air toprevent the air from carrying particles of water from the apparatus.

2. Apparatus for re-cooling the cooling water of steam condensing plantson vehicles, which comprises, means for dividing the water to be cooledinto a plurality of jets, means for conducting a current of air throughthe apparatus and transversely of said jets, and means for regulatingthe quantity and distribution of the Water relatively to the airvelocity to prevent the air from carrying particles of water from theapparatus.

3. Apparatus for re-cooling the cooling water of steam condensingplants'on vehicles, which comprises, means for dividing the water to becooled into a plurality of freelycfalling jets, means for conducting acurrent of cooling air through the apparatus transversely of said jets,and means for regulating the size of'jets and their distributionrelatively to the air velocity to prevent the air from carryingparticles of water from the apparatus.

4. Apparatus for re-cooling the cooling water of steam condensing plantson vehicles, which comprises, means for dividing 69 the water into aplurality of freely falling jets, means for conducting a current ofcooling air longitudinally through the apparatus and transversely ofsaid jets, means causing a subdivision of the water into two portionsafter said Water has passed through the air current, means to return oneportion of the water to the means fordividing the water into jets, andmeans to supply the other portion of the water to a condenser. y

5. An apparatus for re-cooling the cooling water of steam condensingplants on vehicles, comprising an .air conduit open at its front andrear ends, an upper'reservoir for the water to be cooled having aplurality of holes in its bottom discharging into said conduit, a lowerreservoir arranged to receive the water thus divided into free jets andsaid reservoir being sub-divided into a front and a back compartment,means for regulating the quantity of water passing across the aircurrent, a condenser, piping connecting the condenser to the front com--partmentofthe lower reservoir, piping connecting the back compartment ofthe lower reservoir to the upper reservoir, and a device in the lastmentioned piping to force water to be cooled therethrough.

6. An apparatus for re-cooling the cooling water of steam condensingplants on vehicles, comprising an airconduit open at its front and rearends, an upper reservoir for the Water to be cooled having a pluralityofholes in its bottom discharging into said' conduit, adjustable meansfor regulating the quantity and the distribution of the water dischargedthrough said holes, a lower reservoir to receive the water divided bysaid holes into free jets and said lower reser- V011 being subdivided1nto a front and a back compartment, a condenser comprising a reservoirfor the cooling water discharged therefrom, piping connecting the backcompartment of the lower reservoir to the upper reservoir, a device inthe last mentioned piping adapted to force water to be cooled therethrough a piping connecting the front compartment of the lower reservoirto the condenser, a device in the latter piping adapted to force Waterfrom said front compart- 11 ment into the condenser, and a furtherpiping connecting said reservoir. of the condenser to the backcompartment of the lower reservoir.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signedmy name.

HEINRICH ZOELLY.

